A Moroccan Classic: The Tagine

Chances are, if you’ve ever eaten Moroccan food, you’ve eaten a tajine (or tagine). Aside from couscous, tajine is perhaps the best-known dish to originate from Morocco. The word tajine is used to describe a type of cooking pot as well as any number of one-dish meals.

The pot itself is made of two parts; a round, shallow dish similar to a pie dish, and a cone-shaped lid designed to keep condensation in. The moisture kept inside the tajine creates a slow-cooking environment with tender, fall-apart meats and juicy vegetables. Pots are typically constructed of heavy clay, although some manufacturers are now making them of cast iron or aluminum. The tajine pot is used over a stovetop or in the oven. When the meal is ready, the lid is removed and food is eaten straight from the dish.

As a meal, the word tajine refers to a Moroccan stew made with poultry, lamb, goat, or fish, or sometimes a combination of meats. Other tajines are entirely vegetarian, but all are seasoned with a wide variety of spices and other flavorings, such as preserved lemon.

At Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro, we have a number of delicious tajines on the menu. Come and visit us today and we will be happy to make a recommendation or tell you more about this important cultural dish!